You use an online storage site such as Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, or Microsoft OneDrive to back up and synchronize your files in the cloud. Now, a document, photo, or other important file has gone missing. You’ve looked on your computer and scoured the folders on the storage site, but the file is still nowhere to be found. Don’t give up.

Most online storage sites offer a recycle bin or trash folder that holds deleted files. You can browse or search the trash folder for your missing file by name, wildcard, and other attributes. Most online storage sites hang onto deleted files for up to 30 days. After the clock has run out, those deleted files are purged and typically removed from the file servers, so you’ll want to check your storage site sooner than later. The basic process is the same across the major storage sites, but the steps differ slightly. Let’s look at each one to see how you can recover deleted files.